Carton



Jan. 30, 1962 E. F. DEUNE 3,018,940

CARTON Filed Oct. 29, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A? /4 2: /4 a I H \\]i IN V EN TOR.

' 1: I Z AZM/Yffli/ E. F. DELINE Jan. 30, 1962 CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 29, 1959 R m w United States Patent @fiice 3,018,940 Patented Jan. 30., 1962 3,018,940 CARTON Edwin F. Deline, 224 W. Alameda, Denver, Colo. Filed Oct. 29, 1959, Ser. No. 849,668 3 Claims. (Cl. 229-45) This invention relates to a foldable carton or box and more particularly to a carton formed from corrugated board for use in packing fruits and the like.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a cardboard container and lid combination which enables the lid to be securely stapled to the container for shipping purposes; which will allow the lid to be quickly and easily removed for inspection or display; and which will securely re-lock the lid when it is replaced on the container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a box and a lid for the box, each of which can be quickly and easily formed from single unitary blanks of corrugated board and which will retain their shape without the use of adhesives, staples, or other attachment devices.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efiiciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the descriptlon.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 illustrates a prestarnped blank of corrugated board which can be quickly and easily folded to form a complete container;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of a second corrugated board blank arranged to be folded to form a lid of the container;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the lid in the folded position;

FIG. 4 is a similar longitudinal section of the container completely folded and ready to receive the contents;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the container with the lid locked in place thereon for shipping purposes;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the lid as it would appear when removed for inspection purposes; and

FIG. 7 is a similar view of the container as it would appear with the lid of FIG. 6 removed.

The container is formed from a single unitary sheet of corrugated board stamped to form the blank of FIG. 1 and comprising a bottom portion 10 to which two side portions 11 are joined along scored fold lines 22, and to which two end portions 12 are joined along scored fold lines 24. An end flap 13 joins each extremity of each side portion 11 along a scored fold line 14 and an end fold portion 15 adjoins the outer edge of each end portion 12 along a double scored fold line 16.

The bottom portion 10 is provided with tongue slots 23; the end portions 12 are provided with elongated hand hole openings 17; and the end fiaps 13 are provided with similar elongated hand hold openings 18. A pair of spaced apart finger holes 19 are formed in each of the end fold portions 15 and the latter portions are pro vided with shallow elongated tongues 20 on their outer edges which align longitudinally with the tongue slots 23. Ventilation openings 21 overlap the scored fold lines 22 and ventilation notches 25 are formed in the outer edge of the side portions 11.

The blank of FIG. 1 is folded to form an open topped container by folding the side portions 11 upwardly along the fold lines 22 to a position at right angles to the bottom portion 10. The end flaps 13 are then folded inwardly in overlapping relation at right angles to the side portions 11 with their hand hole openings in alignment with each other. The end fold portions 15 are then folded upwardly externally of the overlapped flaps 13, thence over the overlapping flaps and downwardly to the bottom portion 10 where the tongues 20 are insorted in the tongue slots 23 to form the complete selfretaining container. The hand hole openings 17 align with the hand hole openings 18 and the finger holes 19.

The blank for forming the lid is shown in FIG. 2 and it, when folded, is similarly self-retaining. It comprises a lid top portion 26 terminating at each extremity in lid end portions 27 along scored fold lines 28. Each lid end portion 27 terminates at both of its extremities in lid end flaps 29 joined thereto along scored fold lines 30. A lid side portion 31 adjoins each side edge of the lid top portion 26 along a scored fold line 32 and a lid side fold portion 33 longitudinally adjoins each lid side portion 31 along double scored fold lines 34. An elongated locking pad 39, preferably, but not necessarily, corresponding in size and shape 'to the hand holes 17 and 18, is partially severed from each lid end portion 27 by a die cut peripheral border line 42. v V

The two lid side fold portions 33 are provided with elongated tongues 35 and with ventilation notches 36, the spacing of which corresponds to the notches 25 of the container. The lid top portion 26 contains two tongue slots 37 along each of its sides adjacent the scored fold lines 32 and spaced similarly to the tongues 35. Ventilation openings 38 are also formed through the lid blank along each of the scored fold lines 32.

The lid is folded similarly to the container previously described. That is, the two end portions 27 are folded upwardly along the scored fold lines 28 to a position at right angles to the plane of the top portion 26. The lid end flaps 29 are then folded inwardly into alignment parallel to the fold lines 32 and the two side portions 31 with their attached side fold portions 33 are folded upwardly externally of the inwardly turned lid end flaps 29. The two side fold portions 33 are then folded inwardly and downwardly over the lid end flaps 29 and the tongues 35 are inserted into the tongue slots 37 as shown in FIG. 3 to lock the lid in its complete folded condition.

After the contents are in place, the lid is forced telescopically downward over the container so that the notches 25 in the container and the notches 36 in the lid align with each other to form open ventilation passages through the container and lid. A box staple 40 is stapled through each of the elongated locking pads 39 of the lid end portions 27 and into the laminated ends of the container as shown in FIG. 7 to lock the lid in place and the box with its contents is ready for shipment. When it is desired to open the container for inspection or display purposes, the user places a thumb against each of the locking pads 39 and hooks his fingers below the lower edges of the lid end portions 27 then by a prying motion, he forces the pads 39 inwardly and the lid end portions 27 outwardly to break the pads loose from the lid end portions 27 along their die cut peripheral border lines 42 to form locking openings 41 in the ends of the lid. The lid can now be easily lifted from the container as shown in FIG. 6 with the pads 39 remaining stapled to the container as shown in FIG. 7.

After the inspection or display of the goods has been completed, the lid is replaced on the container by the reverse procedure, that is, the lower edges of the lid end portions 27 are pried outwardly with the fingers so that they will slide over the stapled pad portions 39 allowing a the pad portions to snap back into their original openings 41 to the position of FIG. 5.

The die cut peripheral border line 42 about each pad portion is preferably cut entirely through the box board at the bottom and side extremities of the pad. The continuity of the cut, however, is broken at the top of the pad to leave a plurality of severable joining tongues 43 which retain the pads in place during assembly, packing and shipping.

Since the bottom portions of the pads are completely free, they can be readily forced inwardly by the fingers to allow the lid to be pulled upwardly thereover. The upward movement of the lid on the first opening of the carton will break the tongues 43 for, after the pads have been stapled in place, the tongues are no longer necessary. The entry of the pads in the locking openings 41 will form an efiicient lock for the replaced lid.

While the invention has been described as particularly useful for fruit packing, it will, of course, be found valuable for any use requiring a foldable carton with a removable and replaceable locked lid.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A carton comprising: a container formed by folding a first corrugated board to form a bottom, two upwardly extending sides and two upwardly extending ends; a lid for said container formed by folding a second corrugated board to' form a lid top, two downwardly depending lid sides and two downwardly depending lid ends telescopically engaging the sides and ends, respectively, of said container; means securing the adjacent edges of each adjacent pair of walls at each corner of the lid and the container; a pad area in each of said lid ends; a die cut border line completely outlining each of said pad areas, said line providing a weakened connection between each pad and the adjacent material of the lid end wall; a staple passing through and attaching each of said pad areas to an end of said container so that removal of said lid will necessitate separation of said pad areas from said lid ends along the die cut border lines of the former to form locking pads on the ends of said container engageable with the holes in said lid ends to relock said lid in place.

2. A carton and lid combination comprising: an open topped rectangular container; a lid formed independently of said container closing said open top; peripheral side and end walls on said lid, the adjacent side and end walls being secured to each other at their respective corners and extending downwardly about and completely surrounding the top of said container; pad areas outlined in two opposite ones of said lid sides by a separable peripheral border extending completely around each pad area completely within and surrounded by its respective lid side; and attachment means fixedly and permanently attaching said pad areas to sides of said carton so that the initial removal of said lid will require separation of said pad areas from the sides of said lid to form projecting pads attached to said container, the separation of said pad areas from said lid sides forming completely enclosed openings in the latter which will fit over and re-engage the pads on said carton when said lid is re placed thereon in consequence of the walls of saidlid being secured together at the corners of said lid so as to relock said lid in place.

3. A carton and lid combination comprising: an open topped rectangular container; a lid formed independently of said container closing said open top; peripheral side and end walls on said lid, the adjacent side and end walls being secured to each other at their respective corners and extending downwardly about and completely surrounding the top of said container; pad areas outlined in two opposite ones of said lid sides by a separable peripheral border; and attachment means attaching said pad areas to sides of said carton so that the initial removal of said lid will require separation of said pad areas from the sides of said lid to form projecting pads attached to said container, the separation of said pad areas from said lid sides forming enclosed openings in the latter which will fit over and reengage the pads on said carton when said lid is replaced thereon in consequence of the walls of said lid being secured together at the corners of said lid so as to relock said lid in place, staples attaching said pads to said container, said pad areas being horizontally elongated areas formed in the lid sides at each extremity of said lid, said areas being completely surrounded by the material of said lid to form when separated, completely enclosed openings therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,992,222 La Grua Feb. 26, 1935 2,266,547 Goodwin Dec. 16, 1941 2,389,291 Bergstein Nov. 20, 1945 2,551,814 Rushing et a1. May 8, 1951 2,878,983 Dulaney Mar. 24, 1959 

